Keys Academies Trust is a growing multi-academy trust with a clear sense of purpose and a strong commitment to high-quality leadership and professional practice across its schools.
As the trust continued to develop, senior leaders were keen to ensure that strategic thinking and decision-making around digital strategy remained coherent, principled and sustainable at every level.
I work with Keys Academies Trust in a long-term partnership as a fractional digital strategist, supporting executive and senior leaders in their thinking about leadership, strategy, and organisational coherence.
The relationship is collaborative and reflective in nature. The emphasis is on dialogue, sense-making and disciplined prioritisation, building on the trust’s existing strengths rather than introducing external models or prescriptions.
The partnership has centred on:
Supporting strategic clarity and long-term alignment
Strengthening leadership capacity and professional judgement
Sustaining coherence across diverse school contexts
Creating space for reflective leadership practice
This work is shaped by the trust’s values and direction, and evolves in response to context rather than following a fixed programme.
The partnership has helped reinforce a shared strategic narrative across the trust and supported leaders in exercising confident, principled judgement in relation to digital strategy.
Leaders describe greater clarity about priorities, stronger alignment between intent and practice, and increased confidence in navigating growth while staying true to the trust’s purpose.
“In taking on the role of CEO of Keys Academies Trust in 2022, I inherited schools with deployment of iPads to a number of year groups, both in primary and secondary. As a small trust, I realised over time that I couldn't create an affordable and effective position within the Trust central team to create the digital strategy we needed and to drive improvement and training. I was delighted then, to catch José shortly after he launched his consultancy, having observed the high quality of his work over a decade in two strong independent schools within United Learning. José has been able to work flexibly with us as a fractional digital strategist with real impact. He has rapidly formed good quality relationships and is highly respected across the Trust. The model is working perfectly for us in terms of the balance between impact and affordability. I can strongly recommend his services.”
Dr Ian YoungCEO, Keys Academies Trust
“I have really valued working with José. He has provided valuable insight into our iLearn 1:1 project, getting us to really think about how we use technology to improve teaching and learning across our school from both a staff and student perspective. His training is always very well received giving practical and useable advice that can immediately be taken into the classroom environment.”
Chris GameDeputy Headteacher, Jack Hunt Academy (part of Keys Academies Trust)
To explore how this approach to leadership and strategy might work in your setting, please get in touch.
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